Sediment Quality in Puget Sound Year 2 - Center for Coastal ...

toxicants in regions of Puget Sound were summarized in a variety of reports (Brown et al., 198 1;
Dexter et al., 198 1 ; Barrick, 1982; Konasewich et al., 1982; Long 1982; Crecelius et al., 1985;
Quinlan et. al, 1985).
Following the work by NOAA, additional studies of chemical contamination were supported by
the Puget Sound National Estuary Program (PSEP). The PSEP studies further identified spatial
patterns in sediment contamination, toxicity, and benthic effects in selected urban embayments
and reference areas throughout Puget Sound (PTI, 1988; Tetra Tech, 1988). The PSEP also
formulated tentative plans for cleaning up some of the more contaminated sites. Although
extensive deep portions of Puget Sound and most rural bays were relatively contaminant-free,
parts of the bays bordering urban, industrialized centers contained high concentrations of toxic
chemicals (Long and Chapman, 1985; Llanso et al., 1998a). Other programs and studies,
including the Puget Sound Dredged Disposal Analysis Program (PTI, 1989) and the Puget Sound
Ambient Monitoring Program (Llanso et al., 1998a,b), characterized baseline sediment quality
conditions and trends throughout Puget Sound.
In addition to these large-scale studies, federal, state and local government, as well as private
industry, have conducted a vast number of smaller, localized studies on Puget Sound sediments,
primarily for regulatory purposes. These studies have focused on the level of chemical
concentrations in sediments, the incidence of abnormalities and diseases in fish and benthic
invertebrates, the level and degree of sediment toxicity to various bioassay organisms, the
relationship between sediment contamination and the composition of benthic invertebrate
communities, and to a lesser extent, the associations between sediment contamination, toxicity,
and resident marine bird and mammal populations.
Information gathered from the surveys of toxicity in sediment, water, and microlayer, and the
studies of adverse effects in resident benthos, fish, birds and mammals confirmed that conditions
were most degraded in urbanized embayments of Puget Sound, including Elliott Bay (Long,
1987). All of the data from the historical research, collectively, served to identify those regions
of Puget Sound in which the problems of chemical contamination were the worst and in which
management actions of some kind were most needed (NOAA, 1987). However, although these
previous studies provided information on the degree and spatial patterns in chemical
contamination and effects, none attempted to quantify the spatial extent of either contamination
or measures of adverse effects.
The Sediment Quality Information System (SEDQUAL) Database
Ecology's Sediment Management Unit has compiled a database that includes sediment data from
over 400 Puget Sound sediment surveys of various size and scope. The Sediment Quality
Information System (SEDQUAL) database includes approximately 658,000 chemical, 138,000
benthic infaunal, and 36,000 bioassay analysis records from over 12,000 sample collection
stations throughout Puget Sound. For the central Puget Sound study area defined in this report,
the SEDQUAL database currently contains sediment data from 2063 samples (148 surveys)
collected from 1950-1999. Using the analytical tools available in SEDQUAL, these data can be
compared to chemical contaminant guidelines, the Sediment Quality Standards (SQS) and Puget
Sound Marine Sediment Cleanup Screening Levels (CSL), set fort11 in the Washington State
Page 5